City’s midfielder vents frustration after the club’s Premier League stumble: ‘We’re not happy’

With the draw against Sunderland, the Citizens fell further behind league leaders Arsenal.

Manchester City started 2026 with a frustrating result in the fight for the Premier League title . In a match played at the Stadium of Light on Thursday night (1st), Pep Guardiola ‘s team failed to score against Sunderland , allowing leaders Arsenal to open up a four-point advantage at the top of the table.

Despite having 67% possession and 14 shots on goal, the Citizens struggled against the defensive organization of the home team, who remain unbeaten at their stadium this season. Captain Bernardo Silva did not hide his disappointment with the team’s collective performance in their first match of the year.

“We’re not happy because we expected something better than this. In the first half, we attacked too quickly and didn’t move the team around to find spaces. We had chances in the second half, but it was one of those days when the ball just didn’t go in,” lamented the Portuguese midfielder.

While Manchester City felt disappointed, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris celebrated his players’ aggressive approach to the match. He highlighted that the strategy of pressing City high up the pitch was crucial in disrupting Guardiola’s usual rhythm of play.

“We showed a lot of grit against what is probably one of the best teams in Europe right now. I think we were bold and disrupted their routine. We also created opportunities, so it was a good game,” the coach assessed.

Sunderland will face  Tottenham next  this Sunday (4), at 12 pm, Brasilia time, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in a match valid for the 20th round of the Premier League. Manchester City, in turn, will face  Chelsea  on the same day, at 2:30 pm, at Etihad Stadium, also for the first round of the second half of the season.